The Pentagon confirmed Thursday that two Venezuelan military aircraft carried out what officials described as a “highly provocative” maneuver against a U.S. Navy destroyer conducting counter-drug operations in the Caribbean Sea, as reported by The New York Post.
According to the Department of Defense, the incident involved two armed Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets that flew dangerously close to the USS Jason Dunham, an Aegis guided-missile destroyer.
The encounter occurred in international waters, the Pentagon said, and was intended to disrupt ongoing U.S. counter-narcotics missions.
“Today, two Maduro regime military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
“This highly provocative move was designed to interfere with our counter narco-terror operations. The cartel running Venezuela is strongly advised not to pursue any further effort to obstruct, deter or interfere with counter-narcotics and counter-terror operations carried out by the U.S. military.”
PENTAGON WARNS VENEZUELA AFTER MADURO JETS FLY NEAR U.S. NAVY SHIP
“Today, two Maduro regime military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters.
This highly provocative move was designed to interfere with our counter narco-terror operations.
The… https://t.co/mLHOjWu0n9 pic.twitter.com/dFMayPMayC
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 5, 2025
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The provocation came just two days after U.S. forces targeted a Tren de Aragua smuggling boat in the Caribbean, killing 11 suspected cartel members.
Tren de Aragua, along with Cartel de Los Soles, was formally designated a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year by the Trump administration.
Officials have accused Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro of working directly with the cartels to traffic drugs — including fentanyl-laced narcotics — into the United States.
The Justice Department last month placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro, citing his ties to international trafficking operations. “He is one of the largest narco traffickers in the world, and a threat to our national security,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said at the time.
The Navy has increased its presence in the Caribbean in response to cartel operations, deploying eight ships to the region last month, including three guided-missile destroyers.
Defense officials say the buildup is aimed at intercepting narcotics shipments and disrupting transnational criminal organizations tied to Venezuela.
Maduro responded earlier this week by describing the U.S. naval deployment as the “biggest threat that has been seen on our continent in the last 100 years.” He accused Washington of pursuing regime change in Caracas.
The Pentagon did not disclose whether U.S. aircraft responded to Thursday’s Venezuelan maneuver, but military officials emphasized that U.S. operations will continue.
The incident marks the latest confrontation between American forces and Maduro’s regime as Washington intensifies efforts to combat drug cartels with state-level backing in South America.
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